Time indicating device



March 13, 1962 J. T. WYNNE 3,024,590

TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 13, 1962 J. T. WYNNE 3,02

TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1960 2 SheehsSheet 2 wuq United 3,024,590 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,024,590 TIME INDICATING DEVIEE James T. Wynne, 4706 Lockridge, North Little Rock, Ark. Filed Feb. l, 1960, Ser. No. 5312 9 Claims. (Cl. 58-2) This invention relates to time devices for controlling the elapsed time between spaced points on a device drawn at constant speed and more particularly electric clocks.

The art of horology is an old and well-known art. Clocks have been powered in a great many ways-unwinding springs, falling weights, electric power, etc. While the internal mechanism of any clock is both intricate and delicate, and hence requires meticulous care in manufacture, the mechanism of constant speed electric motor drive clocks is simple in comparison with that of clocks which are otherwise powered. In their simplest form, constant speed electric motor drive clocks require nothing but a train of gears to reduce the speed of the driving motor to that of the hands or other time indicator but their accuracy, as a time indicator, depends not only upon the accuracy of the motion transmitting device but also upon the accuracy of the cycling of the source of power. While in other forms of clock work, regulation is easily accomplished by relatively simple means, such as adjusting the length of the pendulum, or the free length of a spring, or the magnitude of a falling weight, such is not possible with ordinary electric clocks, which are driven by a synchronous motor.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to make an easily regulatable electric time piece.

Another object is to provide a mechanism for regulating the elapsed time required for two spaced points (on a device moving at constant velocity) to pass a fixed point.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the essentials of the simplest embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the operating parts of a vertically elongated clock constructed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the time indicating arrangement of the clock shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another form of the time indicating arrangement suitable for use in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of still another form of time indicating arrangement;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of alternative means of regulating the clock shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation of a clock constructed in accordance with another embodiment and showing the adaptability of the present invention to novelty clocks;

FIGURE 8 is a view in front elevation of a round faced clock constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 9 is a View in front elevation of another form of novelty clock constructed in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, increments of time are designated by spaced points on an indicating device in the form of an endless belt which is driven at constant velocity past one or more fixed markers. Regulation is accomplished by making the indicating device stretchable (and contractible) so as to vary the distance between the spaced points which represent a given increment of time, and hence vary the elapsed time the instant one of the spaced points passes and the other spaced point reaches a fixed marker, without altering the velocity of the indicating device. The stretching or contraction of the endless belt is accomplished by varying the interaxial distance between the drive pulley and an idler pulley over which the belt is trained or by expanding or contracting the circumference of one or more of the pulleys or in any other suitable way.

The principle of the mechanism, as applied to a clock, is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 1 wherein a pulley 1 is mounted to be driven at constant rotational speed as by a synchronous electric motor. An idler pulley 2 is mounted in spaced relation to the pulley 1 and means is provided for varying the lineal distance between the axes of the pulleys 1 and 2. A stretchable endless belt 3 is threaded over the two pulleys so as to be driven at constant lineal velocity by pulley 1. The belt 3 is divided lengthwise into a number (for example, twelve) of equal increments and is provided in any suitable way with indicia (such as numerals one through twelve) adjacent the division points between the increments. One or both of pulleys 1 and 2 is provided with means for varying the lineal distance between their axes. If, after the clock is run for a while, it is discovered that it is running too fast or too slow, all that needs to be done to regulate it is to increase or decrease the overall length of the stretchable belt 3. By adjusting either pulley so as to change the interaxial distance between the pulleys, the band 3 is either stretched or contracted, thereby increasing, or as the case may be, decreasing the length of the increments between successive indicia. If the distance between the two pulleys is increased, the band will be stretched and its length will also be increased. Likewise, the numbers scribed on the band will become further apart. Therefore, when the band is in motion at constant lineal velocity, it will take longer to get from one indicia to the next, thus the clock is made to run slower. The reverse of this situation is also true, that is, if the distance between the two pulleys is decreased, the clock will be made to run faster.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2, the works of the clock are enclosed in an appropriate case 20, in the front of which is arranged a window 21. Mounted for movement behind the window and so as to be visible through a window is an endless elastic belt 12 mounted to be driven by pulley 22 and traveling at its upper extremity about an idler pulley 23.

The driving pulley 22 is driven by a synchronous electric motor 24 having on the end of its shaft a pinion 25 which engages a speed reducing transmission 26 which may be of any form known in the mechanical arts. The rotational speed of pinion 25 is appropriately reduced by speed reducing transmission 26 and rotational movement thereby imparted to pinion 27 on the shaft of pulley 22. The speed of reduction of reducer 26 is so co-ordinated with respect to the rotational speed of motor 24 that pulley 22 is rotated at a speed such as to approximate a lineal speed of the full length of belt 12 in a twelvehour period.

Idler pulley 23 is mounted in bearings 28 which are adjustable relative to the axis of pinion 27. Such adjustment may be accomplished by any well-known means and, in the form illustrated in the drawing, consists of a set screw 29 threaded through a bracket 30 carried by the housing 20. The screw 29 is in swivel connection with bearing 28 so that the latter may be pushed upwardly or drawn downwardly between guides 3-1 (mounted upon the inner walls of case 20) in response to adjustment of screw 29. It will be understood that the adjusting parts for pulley 23 just described are duplicated at each end of the shaft of pulley 23 or, alternatively, the bearings 28 at each end of such shaft may be mounted in a single yoke which is adjustable by means of a single adjustment device.

In the form shown in FIGURE 2, belt 12 is a rubber band upon which are inscribed at equal increments the numerals 1 through 12 to indicate the hours of the day or night. As indicated above, the length of belt 12 is such that when stretched tightly more than sufiicient to be driven by the pulley 22 without slipping, its length corresponds approximately to the lineal distance traveled by the periphery of pulley 22 in twelve hours. So-rne stretch beyond that required to prevent slipping between the belt 12 and the drive pulley 22 is provided initially so as to make possible a reduction of the interaxial distance between pulleys 22 and 23 (thereby to make the clock run faster) without so diminishing the tension in the belt 12 so that slipping at the drive pulley would occur. On the other hand, the material of the belt must be so chosen that its elastic limit is not exceeded when it is stretched substantially beyond the degree of tension in it when initially applied to the pulleys so that the interaxial distance between pulleys 22. and 23 may be increased to make the clock run slower.

Instead of making the belt 12 of rubber, it may be made of other elastic material as, for example, a metallic spring 32 of the character shown in FIGURE 4 to which number plates 33 are attached. The spring 32 is preferably wound from a single piece of spring wire of appropriate length and after winding its ends are connected together as at 34 by welding or other appropriate connection. Another alternative is shown in FIGURE where the endless belt 35 is again of metallic spring metal so wound that the exterior face thereof is relatively wide and flat so as to accommodate the hour numerals which may be printed thereon. The interior surface of belt 35 may be either fiat or rounded in whole or in part depending upon whether the exterior surface of pulleys 22 and 23 is flat or grooved.

An alternative means of regulating the clock by changing the length of an endless elastic belt in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGURE 6. In this instance, each of pulleys 22 and 23 has its shaft mounted in fixed hearing so that the interaxial distance between the two is constant. A third pulley 36 is provided intermediate to pulleys 22 and 23 and in engagement with one edge of elastic belt 12. The shaft of pulley 36 is mounted in horizontal trunnions for adjustment in the direction shown by the arrows in FIGURE 6leftwardly to make the clock run faster, rightwardly to make the clock run slower. By the provision of one or more additional idler pulleys, such as 23 and 36 (all of which need not be adjustably mounted) the endless belt may be made to follow any desired path so as to approximate the configuration of a great variety of symbols, such as letters of the alphabet, an example of which is shown in FIGURE 7, wherein the casing of the clock is in the shape of the letter S. The middle part of the S is provided with a window 38 through which the elastic belt traveling within the S-shaped case may be viewed from without. In this instance, the hour indicating numerals are placed upon the belt in 90 displacement from the relationship shown in FIGURES 3 through 5 so that the hour numerals road horizontally. In this form, a motor 39 having a vertical shaft attached through a speed reducing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 2, to the driving pulley which is arranged in the base of the clock so as to drive elastic belt 40. The opposite end of belt 40 is trained about an idler pulley 41, likewise on a vertical axis which is adjustable relative to the case of the clock and between pulleys 41 and 45, a plurality of idler pulleys or rollers engaging the fiat face of the belt are provided to guide the belt about the belly of the S.

In FIGURE 8, an adaptation of the invention to a round faced clock showing the minute and the hour is illustrated. In this case, there are two windows and 51, the former to indicate hours, the latter to indicate minutes. Similarly, there are two elastic belts 52 and 53. The belt 52 which is preferably formed in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 carries a series of 12 hour indicating tags 54, each carrying a different numeral from one through twelve. The tags 54 project sidewise from and swivel freely with respect to belt 52 and are spaced at equal increments along the length of belt 52. The belt 52 is driven by a pulley 55 which in turn is driven through a speed reducing transmission 56 from a synchronous motor located therebehind and not shown in the drawing. Belt 52 is drawn around idler pulleys 57, 58 and 59 so as to follow a generally triangular path. One of the idler pulleys, such as 57, has its shaft mounted in bearings for hour adjustment, which is shown by the arrows thereadjacent in order to increase or decrease the length of belt 52 and thereby to regulate the hour works of the clock.

Endless belt 53 is driven by pulley 61, which in turn, is driven by the same synchronous motor above referred to through speed reducing transmission 56, but at a higher rotational speed than pulley 55. Belt 53 is trained about pulleys 61, 62, 63 and 64. As shown in the drawings, pulleys 62 and 63 are mounted upon fixed axes while pulley 6 is adjustable as shown by the arrows thereadjacent to increase or decrease the length of belt 53, thereby to regulate the minute works of the clock. Depending from belt 53 is a series of sixty minute tags 66, each of which indicates the minute of the hour. The speed reducing transmission is so constructed that, whereas pulley 55 is driven at a peripheral speed equal to the full length of belt 52 in twelve hours, pulley 61 is driven at a pcripheral speed equal to the full length of belt 53 in one hour. The belts 52 and 53 utilized in this embodiment are preferably of the character shown in FIGURE 4, but with the hour and minute indicating tags 54 and mounted in swivel relation so as to freely depend from the belt under the influence of gravity.

Referring now to FIGURE 9 of the drawings, or a further embodiment, the clock face in this instance is formed in the shape of a letter A. The leg 70 is provided with an elastic belt 71 traveling behind and visible through a window 72 to indicate the hour. Similarly, leg 73 is provided with a belt '7 traveling behind and visible through a window 75 to indicate the minute of the hour. Each of the belts is driven from a single synchronous electric motor located in or near the vertex of the A and through an appropriate speed reducing transmission connected to pulley 76 for belt 71 and to pulley 77 for belt 74. Again the speed transmission is so constructed as to drive belt 71 through its complete length in a period of twelve hours, but to drive 74 through its complete length in a period of one hour. At the lower end of belt 71, an idler pulley 78 is provided for adjustment in the direction of the arrows shown thereadjacent in order to regulate the hour indicator of the clock. Likewise, at the lower end of belt 74, an idler pulley 79 is provided for adjustment in the direction of the arrows shown thereadjacent in order to regulate the minute movement of the clock.

In a similar manner, as heretofore described, the stretchable band may have scribed thereon, or otherwise attached thereto, an indicating device which while moving through the circumferential path of the band established by the pulley system would point to, or otherwise indicate, the time by referring to a numeral mounted on the case of the time indicating device. Whereby, instead of having the numbers scribed on, or otherwise attached to, the stretchable band, the numbers would be mounted in a fixed position on the case and time would be indicated by the indicating device mounted on or otherwise attached to, the flexible band while the said band is moving through its circumferential path.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will readily understand the construction and operation of the invention and realize the advantageous simplicity of regulating the same. While a number of embodiments have been described in detail, it is not to be understood that the invention is limited thereby. On the contrary, it is to be understood that numerous modifications and variations will readily present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and such is contemplated by and within the scope thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An indicating device comprising a plurality of pulleys and a stretchable endless belt having incremental indications thereon, said belt being in driving relationship with said pulleys, one of said pulleys being a driving pulley connected to a constant speed driving mechanism, another one of said pulleys being an idler pulley, at least one of said pulleys being adjustable toward and away from another of said pulleys, thereby enabling the stretchable endless belt to increase or decrease in length, whereby the distance between the incremental indications may be varied.

2. A time indicating device comprising two pulleys with an endless elastic band stretched between and around said pulleys, one of said pulleys being the driving pulley and connected to a constant speed driving mechanism, the other said pulley being an idler pulley so situated that it can be adjusted to increase or decrease the length of the said band, the said band having scribed thereon time indications.

3. A time indicating device comprising a set of pulleys and a stretchable band stretched between said pulleys, one said pulley being rotated by a constant speed driving mechanism, a second pulley being adjustable to vary the distance between the said pulleys, and thereby the length of the hand without varying the lineal speed of the band, the stretchable band having thereon numerals which serve as time indicators.

4. A timing device comprising a stretchable band being placed around and stretched between a plurality of pulleys, one of said pulleys being a driving pulley, connected with a constant speed driving mechanism, another said pulley being adjustable so that the band can either be lengthened or shortened, thereby allowing the timing device to be set faster or slower without changing the speed of the driving mechanism, the remaining pulleys being permanently fixed and free moving so that they rotate in accordance with the speed of the band, said band containing numbers fixed thereto.

5. A time indicating device comprising, an endless elastic belt divided by indicia into equal increments of length, means for driving said belt at constant lineal velocity, and means for varying the distance between successive indicia on the belt.

6. A time indicating device comprising, an endless elastic belt divided by indicia into equal increments of length, means for driving said belt at constant lineal velocity, means for varying the distance between suc cessive indicia on the belt, and a fixed indicator arranged adjacent to said belt in a position to be viewed simultaneously with at least one of the indicia on the belt.

7. A time-indicating device comprising a frame having indicia thereon, an endless elastic belt having equally spaced indicators attached thereto, means for driving said belt at a constant lineal velocity by the indicia on the frame, and means for simultaneously varying the space between all successive indicators on the belt, said indicators being arranged for successive visual coordination with the indicia on the frame, while the belt moves at a constant lineal velocity.

8. An adjustable chronometer having a frame with a fixed indicator thereon, a stretchable endless belt having an indicator thereon, means for driving said belt at a constant lineal speed about a path which passes adjacent the fixed indicator, means for stretching said belt to increase the length thereof and increase the time interval required for the indicator on the belt to travel at constant lineal speed from the point adjacent said fixed indicator completely about said path back to said point adjacent said fixed indicator, said indicators being arranged for concomitant observation during their proximity to each other.

9. An adjustable chronometer comprising a stretchable endless belt having an indicator thereon, means for driving said belt at constant lineal speed, and means for stretching the belt to vary the time required for the indicator to travel through a complete cycle with reference to a fixed point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,485 Waters Jan. 20, 1942 2,396,929 Putnam Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 834,890 France Sept. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF'ICE CERTIFICATE OF Patent No. 3,024,590 March 13, 1962 James T. Wynne certified that error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby that the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and corrected below.

Column 3, line 5, for "tightly" read slightly Signed and sealed this 11th day of September 1962.

SEAL) \ttest:

DAVID L. LADD ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents \ttesting Officer 

